


Best Left Buried

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Dadceit, Fluff, Inaccurate Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Modern Setting Retelling of Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Morally Neutral Deceit | Janus Sanders, Persephone Goes Willingly With Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Slightly - Freeform, Swearing, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, parental moceit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24923521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A Persephone and Hades-inspired Intruality story.Patton never wanted to be breaking so many rules, but he knows what's right. He knows pushing somebody away doens't erase their past, no matter what that might be.Remus never expected to be getting this close to the god of fertility, but it was a pleasant surprise, to put it lightly.And neither of them aimed to fall in love, but some things happen of their own accord. And who are they to disobey fate?
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	1. As Prosperine

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, the characters in this are:  
> Patton: Persephone  
> Remus: Hades  
> Janus: Demeter  
> Roman: Zeus  
> Logan: Hermes  
> Virgil: Hecate.
> 
> I also had to kind of mess with the family dynamics in this, because it's supposed to be a (slightly) more modern version. So in this story, Remus and Roman (Zeus and Hades) are still brothers, but Roman is no longer Patton's father. Because that's quite sketchy.
> 
> One last thing: A few times in this, the name Kiaran is mentioned. This is Poseidon, and I'm kind of pretending that the orange side is him. I got the name from the fourth, lesser known and used rhetorical appeal, Kairos.

Patton really, really shouldn't be here.

He glanced around the meadow, looking for a sign of movement, of something that would tell him that he hadn't, in fact, wandered into a painting. There was a breeze, but the grass didn't sway, and the sun was shining brightly, but he couldn't see any shadows. He was used to plants, the shine of life. This just seemed dead. He brushed a hand over the springy grass and was rewarded with nothing but the faintest of rustles. Was he being mocked by a plant? As their god? This was unfair treatment.

He should turn back. Janus was waiting not far behind, and Patton's father would be able to explain this. He'd heard, so many times- stay away from the dead. You are meant for growing, for life. Stay away from the dark places.

Something stayed his feet, however. Maybe it was the smell in the air, like rain ready to begin a new era of crops. Maybe it was how the stillness wasn't as ugly as Patton would have expected it to be, how it should be.

Or maybe it was the daffodil, soft and inviting, that just begged to be plucked. It was the only flower of its kind in the meadow, which was odd enough, but stranger was the way it seemed to perk up towards him. Like it was asking him to keep it.

It couldn't hurt, right? Patton had spent his entire life nurturing, making sure soil was good and plants could reach towards the sunshine. What was wrong with enjoying one for himself, just for a while?

This was ridiculous, that he was so uncertain over a single bloom. Patton made up his mind and, gently yet firmly, grasped the flower by its stem. He pulled up. The daffodil was even prettier up close, lush yellow petals brushing against his face like wind. He tucked it behind his ear and resisted the urge to giggle at the absurdity of it.

That was enough dawdling, anyways. Patton turned to leave, fingers still hovering over the flower in his hair, and was stopped in place by a man, leaning against a tree. He had long dark brown hair, a cocky grin, and the man froze Patton. How long had he been there? Would he let Patton leave?

No, that was a god. There was no mistaking this figure for anything else, now that he'd gotten a good look. The green eyes were ethereal, the ripped tank top had strange symbols stitched into it, and no mortal could let off that faint glow. Also, no mortal would dare to look at him, generous though he was, with such a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Fertility. Fancy seeing you in these parts.”

Patton raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t think that it’s so strange. Meadows and flowers are kind of my thing, you know.”

“Mostly, sure- but this isn’t one of yours or Janus’ places.” the god seemed more confused than anything, which threw Patton off a great deal. “You must realize that all this, including that-” He nodded towards the daffodil in Patton’s hair, and a hand self-consciously raised to touch it- “are my domain. I can’t exactly replicate what you do. It’s all off.”

“And who exactly are you, mister?” Patton didn’t like mind games, and this was no exception. Logan already tricked him often enough, and he wasn’t looking forwards to having to deal with it from a different, more insufferable god. “Some relation to Logan, maybe?”

This got Patton a stare of disbelief. “You honestly don’t know who I am? Has Janus told you anything?”

“Excuse me, my father tells me everything.” Except, of course, that was a lie. And they both knew it, even if Patton wasn’t completely sure how his companion knew. “Well, he tells me what I need to know. He wouldn’t keep anything major like this a secret.”

“Oh, I like you.” The god flipped his head to the side, sweeping his hair out of his eyes, and cackled. “Don’t suppose you’d be open to coming back to my home?”

Patton scoffed. As if! There was no way he was just going to follow this deity to who-knows-where, no matter how well he managed to pull off a tank-top. “Absolutely not. Certainly not if you won’t even tell me your name.”

The god in front of him grinned widely, too widely, and half-bowed. “Remus. Pleasure to meet you at last, dearest daddio. I do hope you’ll keep that flower of mine a little longer.” With one last cackle, the ground opened and swallowed Remus whole.

Remus.

That was a name that Patton had heard whispered of in countless places, none of them bright. It was a name he’d been raised to avoid, to flinch at.

He was the god of the dead.

Looking around, Patton wasn’t quite sure how he’d missed it. Everything in the meadow looked flat and lifeless, a beautiful poison. Even his flower was eerily smooth. The sweet scent of the air was no longer appealing, more suffocating, and Patton half-sprinted back towards his father.

On a whim, however, he shoved the daffodil in his pocket. There was nothing wrong with keeping it a while longer, right? Perhaps he could make it grow again, release it from whatever the god of d- whatever Remus had done to it. If anybody could do that, it was Patton.

He shoved down memories of the face-splitting grin and bright eyes and rejoined his father in a field of wheat.

Patton had thought that would be the end of the debacle, and it really should have been. Nothing was going as it should lately. That thought kept running through his head as he leaned on his father’s door, wondering if he should knock or not.

A question that was answered for him when the door swung open, seemingly of its own accord. Janus was deeper into the room, basking in the sun that shone in through a wide skylight. He’d always enjoyed summer, and the blooming plants along all the walls only served as proof to that.

Patton walked tentatively into the room. He tried not to step on any of the various small animals and failed miserably, but his father didn’t seem to care. In fact, a rare genuine smile highlighted Janus’ face as he beckoned Patton over.

“This is the best part of the cycle, you know.” Janus said dreamily, fiddling with a snake that had wrapped around his neck. “Everything that was once dead comes back to life or is replaced. All becomes balanced. Every individual is important on its own, yet contributes to a greater system.”

Patton was never sure how to respond to these spontaneous rants his father went on. Perhaps that just came with representing so much- you never really got out of that headspace.

Nevertheless, at least they were on the proper topic. “Actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that. The... cycle thing, that you’re always talking about.”

Janus kept his body relaxed, but his tone was harder. “The cycle of life and death? It can be terrifying, but it is necessary. You play a crucial part in it, in fact. What did you want to ask me?”

Patton shifted uncomfortably, then settled in a chair next to his father’s. “I haven’t been told much about the underworld and Re- and its ruler. Why don’t we talk about it more? How does it work there?”

He’d expected his father to get angry or closed off, like he’d seen so many times in the past. However, Janus just sighed and turned to face him more. “I suppose it’s time we actually talked about this, isn’t it?” That wasn’t a real question. Patton refrained from pointing it out. “It’s a sore subject for many here, including Roman. And for the most part, what Roman says, goes. But given your role, you deserve to know about death.

“Roman would like to pretend that he is more powerful than his brother, and in a way, he is. More people know of him and pray to him, and that is a special kind of power that can only be earned. But it’s an uncomfortable truth, that most people here like to ignore, that Remus plays an important role as well. Everything ends with him. Eventually, all the mortals go to his care. Even if he may misuse that on occasion.”

Janus seemed satisfied with this story, and began to return to sunning, but Patton cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay. I understand that. But why do we avoid him so much? Even Kiaran isn’t treated like that. I’ve visited the ocean plenty.”

Janus’ nose flared, and Patton knew he’d gone too far with his question. He shouldn’t have pushed his luck. “Because Roman would have us believe he is more powerful, and some things are better left buried. That isn’t so hard to understand, is it?” The smile that grew on his features almost made Patton forget about the secrecy. “Just stay away from him, all right? It’s of utmost importance that you stay safe, even if that is at the cost of your curiosity.”

“But-”

“Some things,” the snake around Janus’ neck arched and hissed at Patton “Are better left buried. Now, don’t you have duties to attend to?”

“...Yes, I do. Thank you, father.”

Janus waved him towards the doorway without another glance.

Curiosity bloomed like a flower. In Patton’s case, it had grown like a weed. And no matter how hard he tried, that weed just kept growing back again and again, covering his heart with its tendrils.

The daffodil hadn’t died. Patton had been confused by this, at first- shouldn't a gift (if that’s what it was) from the god of the dead be wilting within a day? But he came to realize that the thing had never been alive in the first place. Water pooled around its roots unabsorbed. Sunshine only seemed to annoy it, and it stretched towards the shadows.

A voice in Patton’s head, one that sounded a lot like his father, told him to throw it out. But he’d been breaking a lot of rules lately. What was one more for the scrapbooks?

He fingered that same flower in his pocket as he trekked through a field. The same field that he’d first seen a little over a month ago, the same field that he’d been constantly circling through. It bordered the meadow. He didn’t want to think about going back into the meadow, but he didn’t want to consider that he might never see it again. Because, disturbing as it was, there was something comforting about the familiarity of it- the shadows that never moved, and the stagnant fragrance that could be smelled from several meters away.

It would just take a few steps, to immerse himself in that world again. And it was so, so, tempting. He’d come close to it countless times. But each one had been countered by the sound of Janus’ scolding in his head- some things are best left buried.

So that was what he would do. He would take this accursed flower and bury it, because flowers and secrets both belonged in the ground.

Taking a deep breath and a surge of confidence, Patton stepped into the meadow.

It was exactly like he remembered it. Walking around he had the same sense of being out of place and yet belonging, the same unease paired with intrigue.

Turning around, he came face to face with the same god.

“Couldn’t help yourself?” Remus plopped onto the grass, head resting on one hand and a lewd grin framing his face. “I don’t blame you. I’m quite irresistible, frankly.”

Patton only laughed slightly, which seemed to catch the other god off guard. Good. “I just came to return your flower. Sorry for keeping it so long.”

“Ah.” Remus paused for a moment. “So, they still haven’t told you everything, then.”

“What does that even mean? Why is everybody always so secretive around me?”

If Patton didn’t know better, he’d think that there was a flash of fondness in Remus's eye before he winked it away. “We just want to keep you pure; you know. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty head of yours with dirty little secrets of mine. Or my brother’s. The storks are all lies he makes up to feel good about himself, you know.”

“You know, as the god of fertility, it’s kind of my job to be an expert on the stork-ish domain.” Patton wrinkled his nose. “Even if it’s not always the most pleasant.”

Remus laughed, high and sharp. “Oh, I do like you! You sure you don’t want to come down to my home with me?”

“Nope!” Patton said cheerily. “I think I’ll stay up here. I’ll be leaving, actually.” Intent on having the last word for once, he turned and walked in what he hoped was a saunter back the way he’d come. He was interrupted by one final call from Remus.

“I thought you were leaving the flower with me?”

Patton turned back and smiled a little.

“I think I’ll keep it a little bit longer, if that’s okay with you.”

Remus didn’t answer, just walked Patton walk away. Maybe this little god was more interesting than he’d suspected.

They never communicated about the arrangement after that, but it was as obvious to them as the rising and falling of the sun is to the rest of us. Patton would visit, daffodil tucked behind his ear, and Remus would be there without fail. At first their interactions were tense, almost acted. They would snipe back and forth at each other, Patton pushing to gain more information and Remus not giving a millimeter.

But eventually the questions changed.

“Why does Roman hate you so much?”

“Oh, sibling rivalry, you know how it is.” Remus twiddled a piece of grass between his fingers. “That’s an old one, Patcakes. You’ve got to start finding some new material.”

“Okay, then.” Patton considered for a moment, then his face lit up with a grin. “I’ve got it! What’s your favorite color?”

Remus’ head turned slowly, and his eyebrows were raised to quite impressive heights. “My... favorite color? Is this some sort of subtle torture tactic to draw answers out of me with the threat of boring small talk? That might work, come to think of it.”

Patton swatted at Remus. “No, I’m just curious! You did say you wanted something different to talk about, you know.”

“Okay, fine. Green. It’s sickly and rotting, and it reminds me of- it reminds me of somebody.” Remus scrunched his face up. “Happy now?”

“Indubitably.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how you use that word.”

“Oh, like you would know. My favorite color, because you asked so enthusiastically, is light blue. It’s like the sky on a summer’s day, or the top of the water. Perfect for growing.”

Remus seemed to consider that for a while. “Yeah, that makes sense. I personally prefer lava dripping from cave ceilings, but everything’s different up here. It’s so bright, and everybody judges what you say.”

“Is it really like that?”

“The judgement? Totally. A god can’t bring up bondage or waterboarding without being yelled at constantly-” Patton punched him lightly in the arm.

“No, down there. Is it really full of lava and caves?”

“No.” Remus rolled over. “Well, I guess not. The difference between here and there is like the difference between my meadow and all of yours. Sometimes there are caves and lava, because that’s just how it is down there. If Kairan wasn’t my brother I would be dreadfully afraid of all the streams and rivers and lakes you have going up here. And the sun- our light never moves.”

That was a bit more than Patton had been expecting, but it was also the most he’d gotten out of Remus since they’d met. Which Remus seemed to realize, slapping a hand over his mouth with a curse.

“Hey, I’m not going to rat you out, if that’s what you’re thinking! I’m just glad to learn more about your home.” Patton nudged Remus’ shoulder and smiled. “We can change the subject, if you’d like.”

“Okay. Do you like cats?”

Patton’s face lit up. “I love them!”

“Do you know they have spiny dicks?”

Patton coughed, nose wrinkling, but a laugh escaped him at the excited look on Remus’ face. “Really? That’s... cool!”

Remus grinned wildly. “Right? Snakes have two of them. Some fish can reproduce asexually. Sturgeons can do it if human doctors make them, but the babies always die.”

Patton stayed there, listening to Remus ramble and adding his own input when it seemed appropriate. They barely noticed the sun going down until Patton jolted and stood up quickly.

“Ah, I’ve got to be getting back now, or Janus will worry. Nice talking to you, Remus!”

When, several yards from the meadow, Patton turned back, Remus was gone again. Once again, Patton hadn’t given the daffodil back.

Patton went back. Fingering the flower, he would meet Remus. They’d start formal, but inevitably end up with one of them rambling about something or other and the other nodding and encouraging the other. Patton got the sense that Remus rarely got listened to, if only because he felt the same way and recognized his own feelings in his friend.

Because they were friends, no matter what Janus or Roman or Logan might say about it.

Each meeting ended the same way. Patton would make a comment about the underworld, and Remus would offer to take him there. Over time, Patton’s answers morphed from “No” to “Maybe” and finally, “Not yet.”

Until a crisp November morning, when Patton finally said yes.

“What?” Remus was more shocked than Patton had ever seen him, and for once he didn’t make a crude joke. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. I’ll come down with you. If I can come back quickly enough, nobody up here should notice.”

Remus’ surprise turned to a smile. “Finally! Hold on to that flower, okay? Then you’ll be fine.”

“Why?” Patton wouldn’t have let go of it anyway, but this was curious.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t let go.” Remus held out his hand, and just for a second, Patton thought he might not just be talking about the daffodil.

Patton took his outstretched palm, and together, they were swallowed by the earth.


	2. Purgatorio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh-
> 
> The one (one!) fic where I don't meticulously plan everything out, and Remus won't stop talking. This was supposed to be two chapters, and a very short six thousand words, but I guess we're getting a third! I've been working on a lot of other stuff so this chapter took a long time to come out, but I promise the next one will be faster.

The first thing Patton felt was the sting of something digging into his back. 

Sitting up (because he was, for some reason, sprawled out on the ground) he turned to see the edge of a root. It wasn’t like any of the roots from above, which he was quite familiar with, but was thicker and darker. There were several like it pulsing in and out of the surrounding walls, but they let off a stale scent. 

The first thing Patton heard in the dark, forbidden underworld was Remus giggling. 

“Ah, I can’t wait to show you the place now that you’re finally here!” Remus chirped, bouncing on his toes. Patton grinned at himbutheld up a hand. The world spun like a disc as he stood up, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Remus always felt in the aboveground world. 

“I- yeah, I’m excited to be here!” Patton said, internally wondering if the floor had always been that slanted. Or blurry. Suddenly, the world righted itself. 

“Oops, I forgot how weird it is to switch for the first time. Sorry ‘bout that, Pat-dington.” Remus’ voice rumbled through Patton’s side, and he realized with a jolt that the god of the dead had grabbed his arm and was practically holding him up by now. He couldn’t bring himself to jerk away, despite the less-than-ideal smell of his clothing, because the food from earlier was threatening to make a dramatic reappearance. 

“Eh, is fine...” Patton managed to mumble, but Remus scoffed. 

“Ridiculous. As much as I’d like to have a vomiting competition, I wouldn’t want to intimidate you too much with my ridiculous prowess. Get up!” Before Patton could protest, Remus had scooped him up into his arms, and despite the initial lurch in his stomach, at least there was something solid around him. 

“Wow, I can finally appreciate the view from here...” Patton slurred out, wrapping his arms around Remus’ torso. For some reason, the other started sputtering. 

“What- I mean, if that’s what you wanted, who am I to-” 

“Yeah, it looks beautiful in here if you can see it without spinning! I love what you did with the vines, and are those emeralds?” Patton marveled at the colors that decorated the walls, oblivious to Remus’ chuckling. 

“I spent a lot of time on this part. But what do you want to see next? The souls of the damned are to the left, those awaiting trial are over thataway-” Remus nodded to somewhere out of Patton’s line of sight “-my house is downwards, the lava pits are directly above us, the-” 

Patton cut him off hastily. “Y’now what, I think just seeing your house would be perfectly fine. No need to keep standing under lava, or being... damned, or anything.” 

Remus bounced him a little. “Hey, the lava won’t fall! Probably. In 94% of possible outcomes. But sure! Off we go!” Suddenly Patton was no longer just floating- he was flying. Remus ran like he’d been born to do it, and many corridors and strange glows blurred past before they came to a jerking halt. 

“Here we are! Home, sweet home.” Remus stared dreamily at the large structure in front of them.  
And oddly enough, it wasn’t a ridiculous statement. Sure, the writhing vines were unsettling, and the creatures that darted in and out of the corners of Patton’s vision didn’t add a whole lot of charm, but the overall effect of the jagged rocks and dark, root-like wood, was almost homely, in a way. It was quintessentially Remus, there was at least that. 

“I love it!” Patton squeezed Remus’ chest as best he could. “I think I can walk now, though.” 

For some reason Remus’ face was flushed red. Strange- shouldn't he be used to the heat down here by now? Maybe not. Maybe the sudden transition was weird for him as well, and he was just better at hiding it. “Yeah, okay.” He lowered Patton gently, letting him get his bearings before rushing forwards and opening the door again. “My humble abode- torture dungeon, if you will=.” 

Patton giggled. “That’s cute! Like you could torture anybody, you big softie.” 

“Pat, with all due respect, I don’t think you know what happens to mortals in the underworld.” 

“Pish posh. I demand a tour! I want to see the place you live!” Patton crossed his arms and pouted until Remus gave in. 

“Fine.” Patton got dragged inside. He was met with a sprawling abode, the veins of rock and mineral just as much a part of the house as the walls. It flowed organically, nothing like the ordered and precise lines of Patton’s home. Green accents, splashes of dried blood and other bodily fluids, and lace decorated many of the surfaces, to the point where it was difficult to tell where furniture ended and building began. 

“I love it!” Patton rushed to touch everything. “It’s very-” His voice stuttered off as his wandering fingers encountered what seemed to be a shard of bone “-pretty. And unique!” 

Remus looked uncertain. He gave a faltering smile. “You don’t have to pretend, you know. I realize this place is nothing like what you’re used to.” 

Looking around, that was very clearly true. What Patton had initially assumed was lace seemed to be made of skin (Was it human? He couldn't tell) and fur. Most of the chairs and tables were constructed with bones. Slime dripped from the ceiling- a glittering, beautiful emerald green, but slime, nonetheless. A rotting stench filled the air. 

Patton looked around at it all and tried to answer as truthfully as he could. “It... will take a little getting used to, for sure. But you had to deal with my world! It’s only fair.” Remus still fidgeted. “Hey, I don’t lie, okay? I would tell you if I was so uncomfortable that I needed to leave.” 

That perked him up. “I guess we have that in common! I would never lie to anybody, no matter what they want to hear!” 

Patton laughed. “That’s not quite what I meant, silly, but I’ll take it. What other stuff is in here?” At that, Remus lit up. He ran down the hall, rambling something about experimentation chambers, and Patton followed. 

This new place was strange, and a bit gross. But it felt so free, so honest- Patton couldn’t help but fall in love with it, just a little. 

This started a new era of Remus and Patton’s friendship. They would meet in the meadow, like always, but then Remus would hold out his hand. With a glint in his eye, he would drag Patton through the ground and show him something new, something beautiful, something disturbing. 

At a point, however, Patton stopped thinking so much about that. Sure, he didn’t like everything Remus did, but Remus didn’t like everything he did. Remus was special because he went beyond that. 

Remus made Patton feel like a person, not a god. Not Fertility, or the son of Janus. He tested everything Patton had thought he knew and they both ended up stronger because of it. They would have raging arguments into the late nights, before parting with a shoulder-bump and a laugh. 

And of course, because Patton was Patton, and he couldn’t control his own bleeding heart, he fell in love. 

What had once seemed disgusting now looked beautiful. Remus had shown Patton the world, and Patton thought he might follow him anywhere by now, if he looked excited enough. 

He wanted to show him his own world. He wanted to show Remus how he drew on the depths of the earth to keep the world in balance, how he created a life from a seed. 

But he would never get to. 

It weighed on them both, he could tell. It was always Patton walking away and Remus watching. It was always Remus waiting anxiously, thoughts running through his head that maybe Patton wouldn’t come back this time. Maybe he’d forget. Maybe he’d realize he hated the underworld and everything about it and Remus himself. 

Remus would tell Patton whenever these thoughts came up, and they’d hug it out. Patton ignored the fact that he wished those hugs could last longer. Patton would bring gifts, just to show Remus that he really meant it, he wouldn’t stop coming. He tried to push down the thought that maybe he could bring flowers next time. Something... romantic. 

He pushed that away because Remus didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of that way. He deserved somebody who could stay, love him constantly, not live a split life and lie about where he was going.  
If Patton was a better person, he would have just stayed away. But at heart he was selfish, and so he kept coming back. 

Until, inevitably, somebody noticed. 

Janus didn’t storm anywhere. He slithered, he crept, but he never exploded. Growing up as his son, Patton had learned his tells- the angrier he was, the more blunt he’d be. At his happiest, he would speak in riddles that Patton could only pretend to understand. Through all this he rarely raised his voice. 

The angriest he’d ever seen his father was during a feud with Roman. The god of the sky had insulted Janus’ function, proclaiming that having a cycle that worked so closely with death must be evil. Janus had responded with a decade of bad crops. They had eventually made up, with lots of trickery from Logan involved, but the tension remained after all these centuries. 

That decade would never really leave Patton’s memories. He forgot so much over time, but not the way that Janus had secluded himself, had hissed (the master of control, Janus, hissing) every conversation they exchanged (which had been few and far between) and destroyed the organisms he’d always loved.  
Patton hated seeing Janus angry, all in all. That was why, when his father strode into his room with a cold fury in his eyes, Patton’s heart felt like had been dunked in saltwater. 

“Son.” 

Patton swiveled his chair around to face Janus. “Yeah, pops?” 

“Where exactly have you been spending your time, recently?” 

“I mean, it’s mostly just the usual. Watching over earth, making sure everything’s running smoothly so y’all can keep the rest of the system running-” 

“I didn’t ask what you’ve been doing.” Janus stalked a few meters closer. ”I want to know where exactly you’ve been all this time. It’s come to my attention that you haven’t been spending much time up here, I even you don’t love the mortal plane that much.” 

Patton attempted a smile. “Actually, I’ve been spending a lot of time near the sea-” 

“You never were a good liar, son.” 

No. Janus couldn’t know. Janus couldn’t have figured it out, he must mean something else- 

“Have you been spending time in the underworld, Patton? Without telling me?” 

Despite his best efforts, Patton couldn’t hold back his frustration. “Oh, like you’ve always been so honest with me? Maybe I wouldn’t feel the need to sneak off if you would just treat me like an equal!” 

Staring into his father’s eyes, he barely saw the god who’d raised him. He only saw a serpentine dragon as Janus wrapped his cold fingers around his arm and pulled him up. His face twisted. “Everything I have ever done has been to keep you safe. I would tear down the world for you. If you would just listen, you would understand that this is what’s best!” 

Patton wrenched his arm away, but kept his gaze locked on Janus. “Have you considered that maybe the world isn’t yours to tear down? Besides,” And perhaps he shouldn’t go this far, maybe this was salvageable, but he had made up his mind. “I think we both know what you’d find underneath, anyways.”  
He spun and stormed out of the room. He could feel Janus’ accusing stare on the back of his head but couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Patton was still seething when he reached the meadow. 

“Remus?” He called. This wasn’t their usual time, but maybe the god could hear him from here?  
Apparently not, because as usual in the meadow, nothing changed. Patton knew Janus was coming. How could he get down there faster? 

“Remus!” Still nothing. What if- 

What if he could go down there himself? After, all, Remus could do it like he was flipping a coin, and never seemed fazed. Surely, he’d switched often enough to be able to do it alone...?  
It was worth a shot. Instead of coaxing the ground to grow, to move, as he normally did, Patton told it to open. He imagined Remus, imagined everything about him. Because the underworld was his realm, wasn’t it? 

Remus had a wide smile. It stretched his face in a way that would have looked forced on most people, but for him it just made you want to smile with him. He had probably hundreds of the same neon green, lurid, sparkly, (form fitting) jumpsuit, but he insisted that one of them was special.  
He had ideas- some of them that Patton hated, but some that he loved. And to be honest, Patton was kind of tired of everything being perfect. 

He had exactly seven different kinds of laughs. Patton had caught him practicing them in the mirror, and it was quite possibly the most endearing thing he’d ever seen. 

Remus also, coincidentally, had zero shame. Well, sometimes Patton had caught him blushing, but he just insisted he was drunk. Which, to be honest? Didn’t seem like such a wild possibility. Once, Patton had told him that he was best to talk to when sober, and that blush came back. Remus should really lay off the drinks. 

He also- wait, since when was Patton sitting in a cave? 

At some point it had worked! He was kneeling in a rocky floor in a gargantuan cavern, full of- 

Oh. 

This was a place Patton had only seen a few times. Remus never seemed to want to take him here, and he had to agree- it was so close to the beginnings of the Circles of Hell. Even from here, Patton could hear the screaming. He hated that he couldn’t do something even though he knew these people were bad. They must deserve whatever punishment they were getting 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t filled with guilt at every new strangled sound. At every distant plea for help. That didn’t mean the thoughts and the sounds didn’t surround him, until he was curled up into a ball on the ground because it was all just too much. 

He didn’t realize he was whisper-screaming Remus’ name until the other god had wrapped his arms around Patton’s torso. 

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m here. Can you hear me, Pat?” 

Patton managed to nod. He buried his head in Remus’ shirt- he was wearing a thin t-shirt instead of one of his normally outrageous outfits, how odd- and tried to stifle a sob. 

“Those poor people! They just have to suffer forever, and nothing can save them. Why couldn’t I save them? Aren’t I supposed to make people grow? Why-” His tears broke through this time. They were getting all over Remus, and he tried to pull away, but he held him close. 

“No. You couldn’t have done anything, okay? Some people are just bad. Or, mortals just don’t have the time to grow like we do. They only have, what, several decades? If this is anybody’s fault, it’s mine. I’m the one that controls this place.” Remus paused, then a torrent of words pushed out. “I mean, duh. You’re amazing, you know that? I’m the bad one here. Or I’m not. Whatever will make you stop crying, I’m not good with emotions!” 

Patton half-laughed, half-shuddered into Remus’ chest. “Can we just get out of here?” 

“Yeah, that’s a good plan.” With no further fanfare, Remus scooped Patton up in his arms again. It was almost painfully reminiscent of the first time Patton had been to the underworld, when all these pesky feelings weren’t in the way. This time, he couldn’t stop his heart from pounding and his body from leaning into the embrace. 

When they were finally away from all the screaming, Patton felt comfortable enough to open his eyes again. This was Remus’ house, and Patton realized with a jolt he was lying on his bed. Which didn’t fluster him at all. Because he was a wise god, who’d existed for a ridiculously long time, and that was childish. 

The heat in his face and neck was just because he’d been crying. 

Speaking of Remus, in fact, he looked angry. “Why the fuck did you come down here alone? You could have been eviscerated, or defenestrated into the void, or attacked, and be left gutted and bloody all over the floor with your liver more torn apart than Prometheus with two tattoo sleeves-” 

“Hey, hey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I just... really needed to get away from the world up there.” Patton put his hand over Remus’. “I won’t do it again.” 

“Okay, I- okay. That works, I guess.” Was Remus- was he crying? No, that couldn’t be right. He’d probably been smoking something weird. “Wait, how did you get here alone in the first place? That’s never happened before.” 

“It’s- that’s not important.” Patton played with the flower in his pocket. “I think it was a fluke, or something.” 

“Yeah.” Remus continued to check Patton’s arms and face for injuries, (which was honestly kind of cute) until something seemed to occur to him. “Wait, the world up there? Did they do something to you? I can torture them if you want.” A sick grin spread across his face, and he giggled. 

Patton giggled right along with him. “No, ReRe, it’s nothing like that.” His expression sobered. “Well, there’s actually kind of a problem. Da- Janus figured out that I’ve been coming down here, or- well, he suspected, and I think I confirmed it by running off. I just didn’t know where else to go.”

“Hey, no, you did the right thing. You can stay here as long as you want.”

Patton gave Remus a bright, teary smile. “Thanks, Remus. You’re an amazing. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Back at’cha, Patty.”

Patton was warm when he fell asleep that night, even though Remus was in a guest bedroom. The ghost of his embrace was better than any weighted blanket.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me if I forgot to tag anything. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Destroy me if you see a typo. Chapter two should be up in a few days!


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